Daily Retreat 07/21/06
2006 Jul 21 Fri: Ordinary Weekday/ Lawrence of Brindisi, p, r, dr
Is 38: 1-6. 21-22. 7-8/ Is 38: 10. 11. 12abcd. 16/ Mt 12: 1-8
From today’s readings: “O LORD, remember how faithfully and wholeheartedly I conducted myself in Your presence, doing what was pleasing to You!... Those live whom the LORD protects; Yours is the life of my spirit.... the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
Sacredness of the Sabbath
The third commandment of the Decalogue bids us to “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.” The Pharisees took that injunction seriously, accumulating, over the years, a catalog of things that were forbidden to do on the Sabbath. But what began as common sense limitations of Sabbath work (such as the prohibition to harvest grain) deteriorated into senseless nitpicking, such as the Pharisees’ indignation that Christ’s disciples were breaking the Sabbath rest merely by picking a few stalks for their own meal.
Historically, the Sabbath was the last day of the week, Saturday. But since “the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath,” early Christians legitimately came to recognize Sunday, the day of the Lord’s Resurrection, as the Sabbath of the New Covenant. Over the centuries, the Christian faithfulness in keeping the Lord’s day holy established the custom of Sunday rest in numerous regions.
So, previous generations of Christians understood that Jesus’ objection was only to the Pharisaical practice - He never advocated abolishing the sacredness of the Sabbath in itself. But even if the Pharisees erred by trivializing the divine commandment with their nitpicking, the modern tendency has been much worse, positively profaning the Sabbath by dismissing its sacred character. For example, many Christian people, particularly in the retail sector, work on Sunday. However, stores would not be open on Sundays if Christians simply refrained from shopping on that day! In so many ways, the Lord’s day has been demoted, for although Sunday was once universally observed as the solemn first day of the week; now, however, Sundays are so often seen as merely the closing hours of the heathen weekend.
It’s a simple matter to recognize the common sense exceptions legitimizing Sabbath work for police and hospital staff and others working to insure public safety. But most Christians of this time and place need to re-examine their Sunday practices, for it’s Pharisaical to call Jesus “Lord of the Sabbath” if one capitalizes on Sunday as another workday, or spends more time and money in malls then in God’s House, or skips church altogether for other weekend plans.
Is 38: 1-6. 21-22. 7-8/ Is 38: 10. 11. 12abcd. 16/ Mt 12: 1-8
From today’s readings: “O LORD, remember how faithfully and wholeheartedly I conducted myself in Your presence, doing what was pleasing to You!... Those live whom the LORD protects; Yours is the life of my spirit.... the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
Sacredness of the Sabbath
The third commandment of the Decalogue bids us to “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.” The Pharisees took that injunction seriously, accumulating, over the years, a catalog of things that were forbidden to do on the Sabbath. But what began as common sense limitations of Sabbath work (such as the prohibition to harvest grain) deteriorated into senseless nitpicking, such as the Pharisees’ indignation that Christ’s disciples were breaking the Sabbath rest merely by picking a few stalks for their own meal.
Historically, the Sabbath was the last day of the week, Saturday. But since “the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath,” early Christians legitimately came to recognize Sunday, the day of the Lord’s Resurrection, as the Sabbath of the New Covenant. Over the centuries, the Christian faithfulness in keeping the Lord’s day holy established the custom of Sunday rest in numerous regions.
So, previous generations of Christians understood that Jesus’ objection was only to the Pharisaical practice - He never advocated abolishing the sacredness of the Sabbath in itself. But even if the Pharisees erred by trivializing the divine commandment with their nitpicking, the modern tendency has been much worse, positively profaning the Sabbath by dismissing its sacred character. For example, many Christian people, particularly in the retail sector, work on Sunday. However, stores would not be open on Sundays if Christians simply refrained from shopping on that day! In so many ways, the Lord’s day has been demoted, for although Sunday was once universally observed as the solemn first day of the week; now, however, Sundays are so often seen as merely the closing hours of the heathen weekend.
It’s a simple matter to recognize the common sense exceptions legitimizing Sabbath work for police and hospital staff and others working to insure public safety. But most Christians of this time and place need to re-examine their Sunday practices, for it’s Pharisaical to call Jesus “Lord of the Sabbath” if one capitalizes on Sunday as another workday, or spends more time and money in malls then in God’s House, or skips church altogether for other weekend plans.
posted by FrPitstick | 7/21/2006
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